Long Beach Parking Spot Transformed for PARK[ing] Day
LONG BEACH (Sept. 19, 2008) – Drawing in the attention of pedestrians and motorists alike, Studio One Eleven at Perkowitz+Ruth Architects set up a curbside “park” off of Pine Avenue and 4th Street in Long Beach on Friday, Sept. 19. The design studio was one of dozens of organizations to install temporary “parks” across Los Angeles County in honor of PARK[ing] Day.
The one-day event, which aims to advocate for more open space in Los Angeles and make note of how much public space is dominated by automobiles, was initiated in San Francisco in 2005 by design collective ReBAR, and was first celebrated in Los Angeles in 2007. It brings together a diverse constituency of community groups, neighborhood councils, design and architecture firms, professional organizations, non-profits, cyclists and pedestrian advocates to work together to transform numerous parking spaces and parking lots.
In its second year of participation, Studio One Eleven arranged its “park” with artificial turf and an array of colorful pinwheels. The windmills symbolized the need for more natural energy sources and a means to beautify the environment.
“We wanted to let people know what we believe as a firm – that space for cars shouldn’t be the dominant feature of our city. Many Long Beach residents know they want more park space, but often don’t realize why they aren’t getting it,” said Lameese Elqura of Studio One Eleven. “People were delighted to see the whirling pinwheels – it was like a garden of flowers in full bloom.”
Park[ing] Day LA (www.parkingdayla.com) hopes the momentum of the event will inspire cities throughout Los Angeles to provide more parks and open space, especially on infill sites within dense urban environments. Parks can provide the benefits of recreation, habitat, and water management, and also reduce the heat island effect in the city by converting concrete and asphalt into green spaces. Equally important is that they are places for people to use and enjoy.
With 70% of our open space dedicated to cars, why not make more room for people?
About Studio One Eleven
Studio One Eleven (www.studio-111.com) is a distinct division of Perkowitz+Ruth Architects dedicated to creating more vibrant communities through an integrated practice of architecture and urbanism. Rigorous design criteria guides all work, from urban design strategies operating at scales ranging from the block to the city, to architectural projects located on urban infill sites. Founded on the belief that the purpose of architecture is the making of more livable and sustainable cities, each project is viewed as an opportunity to physically enhance the urban context that it sustains.